Five years after receiving his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis, former Liverpool defender Stephen Darby sent out an encouraging letter to his supporters.
The 34-year-old made six first-team appearances after making his debut in November 2008 against Tottenham Hotspur after graduating from the Reds’ junior academy and won the FA junior Cup in both 2006 and 2007. In 2012, he made a permanent transfer from Liverpool to League Two’s Bradford City, where he won play-off promotion. In 2017, he later signed for Bolton Wanderers of the Championship.
Darby was diagnosed with MND a year after joining the Whites, forcing him to retire from sport at the young age of 29. He later founded the Darby Rimmer Foundation with friend and former military member Chris Rimmer, which has so far raised over £1.2 million to support families, promote awareness of the condition, and finance research projects.Darby thanked all of his supporters in a message posted on the foundation’s website five years after his diagnosis and vowed to continue his campaigning.
He wrote, “On Wednesday, September 12, 2018, five years ago today, I received a diagnosis of motor neurone disease. “To put this in context, 80%-90% of persons with MND pass away within 5 years of their diagnosis. A third of those who receive a diagnosis pass away within a year, and half pass away within two years. I consider myself to be among the fortunate.
“In the past five years, I’ve met a lot of amazing people. The MND community is a unique community. Although none of us desire to belong to this group, the perseverance and bravery that individuals and families display on a daily basis is encouraging. I will always do all in my power, along with the foundation, to contribute to the fight against MND.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported the journey over the past five years. Your encouragement, goodwill, and generosity have enabled us to have a positive impact on MND patients, and they will continue to do so.
